My sons 3Po and Jammy seem to be entering an extremely physical stage in their development. They've always been live wires, running around 24/7, but now that they've entered kindergarten they're on the go with their friends -- and sometimes they end up punching each other. Alfie says it's nothing to worry about, and he's probably right, but we both agree that we want to limit their exposure to violence in the media.

That's why I appreciate fantasy games like Ubisoft's Battle of Giants series for Nintendo DS -- they recognize that boys are very physically oriented and like to act out power struggles in their pretend and fantasy play, but they don't depict humans fighting and killing each other. The characters in these games clearly belong in the fantasy realm, so my boys are clear about pretend and real. If I'm going to let my boys play a videogame, I'd rather have one of dragons fighting rather than real people!

3Po and Jammy already enjoy the Dragons and Dinosaurs games, and now that Ubisoft kindly sent us a copy of the latest Battle of Giants game: Mutant Insects, they have even more avenues for fantasy play. Like the previous two, Mutant Insects allows the boys to create characters -- in this case, mutant insects like scorpions, spiders and praying mantises -- and put them into battle with each other. The more they play, the more they can build their insect's special powers and attributes.

Here's a description of the game from Ubisoft:In a far distant future, a gigantic asteroid went out of orbit and collided with Earth. This terrible catastrophe left only ruins in its wake, forever changing Earth’s landscape….and its inhabitants. Insects, the most adaptable form of life on Earth, have mutated to transform into massive giants and become the new rulers of the planet.

As one of four mutated insects, travel through the barely recognizable lands while battling gigantic enemies to find the source of the mutation. Your goal? Become the strongest mutant insect on the planet and survive the chaos!

Now that the boys can read, it's less frustrating for them since the game requires players to read simple instructions. They're really been enjoying this game, and I have even seen them take the mutant insects theme into their pretend-play sessions with plastic insect figurines!

Win a Battle of Giants: Mutant Insects game for Nintendo DSOne lucky winner will receive a copy of Battle of Giants: Mutant Insects for Nintendo DS, courtesy of Ubisoft.

Required EntryLeave a comment on this post and tell me which insects you -- or your bloodthirsty sons :) -- would most like to see in battle. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

I entered to win a Battle of Giants: Mutant Insects game for Nintendo DS! You can enter too on Bonggamom Finds: http://ow.ly/1NcO4

The RulesThis giveaway ends at midnight PST on June 5, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on June 6 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a product sample, but was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

My son would say ants. We were watching a program about them the other day, it said they were one of the few species that actually go to war with each other. They are really vicous fighters.twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed on the Bonggamom Finds blog are the personal views of the author; any reviews or recommendations are not intended to constitute medical advice or treatment in any form. In addition, neither the Bonggamom Finds blog nor its author are liable, and cannot be held liable, for any dissatisfaction you may have with the product, sponsor or any injuries that may be caused by use of that product.

Posts on this blog routinely link out to other sites; I am not responsible and cannot be held liable for anything on those sites.

I occasionally receive samples of the products I review on this blog. I also occasionally accept monetary compensation for posts on this site. If and when I receive either product samples or compensation for writing a review post, this will be clearly stated in the body of the review post.